Two candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu have murder charges against them, and one candidate has a charge regarding assault or the use criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty. This and more such details were revealed by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) in a report, which analysed the affidavits filed by the candidates.
The affidavits of 802 out of 845 candidates were analysed on different parameters such as their assets and liabilities, their criminal records etc, as declared in the affidavit they filed.
Charges of heinous crime
Two candidates out of the 802 that ADR analysed have FIRs for heinous crimes against them. Heinous crimes are those where FIRs have been filed against the candidates under Section 302 (Murder) and Section 376 (Rape) of the Indian Penal Code.
N Mohan, an independent candidate who is contesting from Madurai Parliamentary constituency has four charges of murder and three related to attempt to murder, among other charges.
A Kalyanasundaram, an independent candidate from Virudhunagar, has one charge of murder and three related to attempt to murder.
Two candidates have charges of sexual harassment against them.
Congress heavyweight EVKS Elangovan has been charged under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and under Section 4 (Penalty for harassment of woman) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act. EVKS Elangovan is contesting for the DMK-Congress alliance in Theni against Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s son Raveendranath and AMMK’s Thangatamil Selvan.
Similarly, KK Ramesh, an independent candidate contesting in Madurai has one charge under IPC Section 354.
Wealth
Of the 802 candidates analysed by ADR, 184 have assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. of which DMK has 23, AIADMK has 22, Makkal Needhi Maiam has 19 and Naam Tamilar Katchi has 12. Seven Congress candidates own assets over Rs 1 crore, and the BJP has five candidates with assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.
Kanyakumari’s Congress candidate H Vasanthakumar is the richest candidate contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, with assets over Rs 417 crore. The second richest candidate in the state is E Subaya, an independent contestant from Chennai South with over Rs 237 crore in assets. AC Shanmugam, who is contesting from Vellore on an AIADMK ticket comes third, with assets worth over Rs 125 crore.
Three candidates have declared zero assets on their affidavits this time – N Panneerselvan, an independent candidate contesting from Vellore; G Vedarethinam, a Nagapattinam candidate from the Anti-Corruption Dynamic Party; and S Senthilkumar, an independent candidate from Virudhunagar.
227 candidates are aged between 31 and 40 years; 241 candidates between 41 and 50 years; and 160 candidates between 51 and 60 years.
Tamil Nadu fares poorly when it comes to the fielding of women, with just 64 women in the fray, as opposed to 738 men.